Tinkering...by Tink the Cat

So, yes I will now strain every once in a while to put a complete thought together(and yes, my nickname comes from Walter Payton, one of the greatest football players who ever lived & the late pal of my mom). I am a sweet kitty, but not terribly bright, so bear with me. My first entry is about why we came to Catster and why we've stayed.

My mom's last kitty had to go to stay with the sister, and though the sister was well-intentioned, she had never had cats. The situation was unavoidable though - Mom was going through some intensely tough stuff & lost her home. She ended up in Florida, in a battered women's shelter, and had not been there a week when she got the call that there had been a fire & the cat had not survived. The sister thought cats would naturally try to escape danger but instead it hid in the closet. Mom went through months of panic attacks and seemingly the grief would never end!

A few years passed and I fell into her lap, and finally cleared the clouds away. She has now found Catster, and knew it would be good to have a support system in case anything ever happens to me. I am comforted knowing this, even though I am PURRfectly healthy, happy & always indoors.

Now with the passing of Mikko, who was just a kitten, Minnie, Arnold P., Babydoll, and the horror of Molly's death yesterday, we know we are in the right place! We have seen firsthand the love, support & comfort of catsters who truly care. Not only that, they are responsible owners. The tips, stories, and gentle suggestions are given generously, with no expectation or obligation.

So, now that I have been tagged by Lacey, I thought about it for awhile, which started to hurt. I thought it would be tough to come up with something, since I'm such an easygoing girl. I surprised myself! So here goes: 5 (only 5?) annoying things about humans, then tag 5 others to answer the same.

1) I'm stealing this one from Siggy, with a slight alteration:
I'm on a tight schedule. Now, we all know Siggy has places-to-be & people-to-see! I however, am on a very tight nap schedule. If I am late for a nap, that time MUST be made up for somewhere else! Does she NOT get that???

3) My mom has ADD, or some other horrible psychiatric disorder. The next two are only two of the freakish things she does that are inexplicably un-right. First, she thinks that occasionally I might like some variety in the foodal area, so she throws in a can or pouch of something like "Filet Mignon" flavor or beef, turkey & cheese flavor. I like fish, fish, fish, fish, fish, or fish. Maybe a seafood-flavor once in a while. Fish, Mom, FISH. C'mon, it's been 3 years.

4) She gives me smooches in 5-quick succession. It's SUPPOSED to go "1-2-3-4-5" smooches just that quick. Sometimes, though, she MYSTERIOUSLY stops at four! DON'T LEAVE ME HANGIN'.........!
It's like a high-five unmet and your hands is in the air with nothin' to do! I don't know whether to wait, play, or eat, & I certainly can't snuggle in for a nap THAT WAY!

5)We have a friend named Pastor Mike who stops by sometimes to check on us. You'll hear more about him in the future in my diary, because there's nothing better to a cat than somebody who's not a cat person! We can smell 'em comin'! It's like they are wearing a giant target-mark! Okay, so Pastor Mike always comes in wearing a BEAUTIFUL outfit - black Dockers with a black reverend-collared shirt. He always says, "Hello, Tink" the same way Seinfeld used to say "Hello, Newman"(I hope SOME of you know what I am talking about!) So, I with my beautiful blue-tabby fur, which is made up of banded hairs that are silver, gray and white, RUB up against him & purr & jump in his lap & purr & roll over & purr & jump down and rub all over his pants legs & purr, until he begins to resemble......ME! I think he looks STUNNING this way, and what else is black for? He also leaves and anyone else who sees him will LOVE him because he looks like a cat aficionado! Also, he is a dog-person, so I try to leave a scent so THEY will have an exciting moment in their day! This is a FAVOR! So even though it annoys me the way he says "Hello, Tink", I provide him with a wonderful example of love & sweetness! Just like Jesus, methinks....

Sorry this is so long, but I was going to introduce you guys to Pastor Mike tonight anyway, so this will count as the first installment.

Don't know if you've been tagged yet...also, I'll say that I'm willing to be tagged again if you need an extra, but I really want to hear from others. I think I'd like to hear what DA TABBIES or some other angels would say. Do they like humans better now???

1) This is ALL obviously some kind of sinister conspiracy. A RODENT Meteorologist? Who voted for him? Most of the time, he doesn't even wait until the sun comes up. Tomorrow he will rise from his den, in the middle of the storm, at the one moment when the clouds part, see his shadow, then BAM! WE, who reside above ground, are SENTENCED to six more weeks of winter!! A CAT would be too busy napping to do this kind of widespread damage. We'd say, "I'm busy, tell 'em I didn't see a THING!"

2) Punxie is only about 2 hours due east of us, but for approximately 1,500 cat years it has been completely overcast where we are, yet he SOMEHOW manages to see his shadow. Even when we send him VERY CLOUDY THOUGHTS.

3) He sends his erroneous message to the BURDS in Florida. They heed the call for six more weeks of winter, so they don't show up for about 42 MORE days! (It exhausted me to figure that one out.) I depend on said BURDS for entertainment, so I am destined to four extra, above-and-beyond, NAPS a day. Until well into MARCH. I'm TIRED of sleeping! (need a nap to get over it - brb...)

4) WHO are his HANDLERS??? Pomp & Circumstance, Victorian-Era garb, a Town Decree? It's all so LAST CENTURY! He'd do MUCH better with a Facebook Campaign & a few well-placed tweets(LOVE that word!) Still, for the MOST fun possible, elect a CAT. It would be bright, fun and AWESOME on Catster, with presents and MUCH BETTER FOOD. Catster Mommies Rule!

5) He is obviously high-strung. THIS is what you get when you assign an important job to a VARMINT. He cracks under the pressure and runs away at the sight OF HIS OWN SHADOW. What?! "Scaredy-CAT", my everlovin' tailbase! When I see MY shadow, I POUNCE on it! They need to give that gopher a Xanax! Then let him sleep - all the way thru March! Don't ask, don't tell. Do us all a favor!

6) NOT a media darling at all. Just LOOK at that face(if you dare)!! Beady eyes, buck teeth, not exactly soft & cuddly, no graceful moves, no adorable antics - and what is UP with that tail??? Manx & Bobtails have backends that look a THOUSAND times better. These CRITTERS must have dirt diets, or they wouldn't be called ground-hogs. I mean, who would come up with a name like THAT if it wasn't true? And, of course, we all know that you are what you eat.

IN CONCLUSION: Punxsutawney Phil, I am so sorry that you were handpicked to take over for the old Punxsutawney Phil. They couldn't even be bothered to give you a new name like Punxsutawney Paul or Punxsutawney Punk, because they have the local myth that your cocktail-of-choice, Punxsutawney Punch, has kept one "Phil" alive for 110 years, even though your life span is more like 10 years. You're probly even A GIRL, but who but another groundhog(or not) would be able to tell? I'm sure you were just minding your own business, digging your FOUR HUNDRED THOUSANDTH tunnel when they nabbed you. Nothing personal - but this business of seeing your own shadow, especially considering that you're PRACTICALLY BLIND, has GOT TO STOP.

I got a DDP today - it's my first one & it hit me like shock & awe! I can't BELIEVE it! I celebrated with a nap & dreamed of a standing meowvation!

Seriously, I am so honored, but it's really because I have so many friends on catster who inspire me! I read your diaries and listen to your suggestions & advice, then I really just try to follow along. Thanks for all the support, and for sharing your lives with me!!!!

By now all of you know that my special valentine is Finnegan! I am a very lucky girl indeed! I'm in BUTTERSCOTCH BLISS!!!!

Every night when I go to sleep I say my little tabby-purrayers, and ever since he asked me, I have beautiful BUTTERSCOTCH DREAMS! I dream of butterscotch sundaes, vanilla and golden striped bowls of delight, with the melty caramel flavor, smoothly and satisfyingly buttery, but with a slightly sharper edge to it, always topped beautifully with whipped cream and a cherry! Finney is a beautiful butterscotch sundae.

When I take my morning nap, I have beautiful BUTTERSCOTCH DREAMS! I dream of butterscotch disks that I chase around on the floor, exercising my kitty-skills and picking them up in my mouth and carrying them to a secret stash that no one else knows about, keeping them safe so I can treasure them later, with the sweet taste of butterscotch on my teeth. Finney's eyes are like my precious butterscotch disks, and I'm sending him a BUTTERSCOTCH KISS!

When I take my afternoon nap, I have beautiful BUTTERSCOTCH DREAMS! I see visions of the sun in late afternoon, across the rolling hills, turning them into shiny, rich, golden fields in a gentle breeze. Warm, butterscotch waves of grain, glazed in the sweet warm syrup of sunshine, the safest place I could ever imagine. Finney is my safe place, such a gorgeous guy, but there is so much more than meets the eye! He is a kind, compassionate, sensitive kitty, funny in a charming way, when only butterscotch can satisfy a sweet tooth. Finney is my BUTTERSCOTCH VALENTINE, and who needs RED or PINK??!!

I've been tagged by Zoe to play a game: THE NAME GAME!!!! I have to answer below, then tag 2 kitties to play:

Copy and Paste, then Tag 2 cats
If your kitties may not be known then leave their url or create a link to them. Your kitties can be anybody! Cool! Can't wait to see your answers.

1)cat with a human name
2)cat named after a famous person
3)cat named after a food or drink
4)cat named after a inanimate object
5)cat named after a celebrity or character
6)cat with coolest nickname I know
7)cat with the coolest name ever
8)cat with a name that just screams summer

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It's funny, because I know two lookalike cats, whose names are "Copy" and "Paste"!!!
First, I'll tell you MY name was Tinker Belle Hettinger, but I never used the whole thing on Catster. I used "Tink the Cat" only to distinguish myself from the other "Tink"s - we found 447 cats on Catster with some version of "Tink" in their name! Then Zachery Tristin Byrne had a wrestling diary that referred to me as "Tink Hart", named after Bret "The Hitman" Hart, so I changed my name to my stage name! Thanks, Zach!!!

Everybody, it's time to mobilize! Boxie Brown is really not doing well. He has been a very important part of our lives as keeper of the Purr List. He took it over a year ago from Hazel Lucy and has done a remarkable job with it. When Hazel Lucy passed into the Rainbow Realm, he renamed the list "Hazel Lucy's List for Kitties in need of Purrs" as a tribute to her.

I can only hope to pay a tiny tribute to Boxie - he is a great cat. He has been very involved in comforting those who are sick in a purrsonal way.

Please acknowledge all of his great work by stopping by his page to comfort & support him & his mom. He may have to go to the Rainbow Realm now himself. You can light a candle for him, link is below and the group name is Boxie. Thanks, this is what all my furriends do best! I love you all!!! Luv, Tink

I just wanted to issue an open invitation to all my furriends, many of whom know AnnaBelle too. She is having a pawty this coming Sunday, May 15, in her diary. It's open-house style, so stop by anytime and stay as long as you like, come in & out, or WHATEVER you can swing!!! Even if you can just stop by to give her good wishes, I'd LOVE to see her get ALL the attention she deserves! **ALL DAY LONG**
Her actual birthday is today, and this is also a pawty for jmatt, her mommy's guy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARLIN' ANNABELLE!!!!!

Here's a link, and I'll repeat this whole entry on Saturday, in case you're looking for the link on Sunday.